The Merrell WaterPro Ottawa  Shoe - made with the assumption that you are going to push them and yourself to the limit. Definately caught my attention straight away. Like most kayaking enthusiasts, I am the destroyer of paddling footwear!

So, I put them to the test during the last 2 months to see if they live up to the hype.

The first thing I noticed was the new improved Vibram sole (something that let down it’s predecessors).  The clever R&D team at Merrell have used a new sticky rubber traction sole. Just the right amount of stiffness to protect your feet, but also a softer rubber outer that snugs boulder contours better to increase surface friction. This has vastly improved their grip both on wet and dry rocks.

The shoe has a neoprene  heal lining and mesh abrasion resistant upper with a intergrated wrap system which  provides great foot support. As the name suggests it is a shoe construction, so provides minimal ankle protection but this is a traded off against, comfort and flexibility for freedom of movement. They  would require neoprene socks in the winter, although I  found them more than adequate with my dry suit socks.

The  WaterPro shoe  has  also proven highly resistant to  the damaging effects of dry rooms and have not cracked or come appart at the seams.

All in all I think the ‘New’ WaterPro Ottawa shoe is an excellent choice for those who are looking for a lightweight, reliable, tough shoe that offers comfort and unparalleled sole protection. It gets a big two thumbs form me.

Features/Benefits:

• Compression-molded EVA midsole absorbs shock and provides support
• Vibram ProWater sole/TC5+ sticky rubber/3 mm siped lugs for excellent wet/dry grip
• Breathable, single-layer mesh upper; Aegis antimicrobial treatment inhibits odor
• Welded PU mesh reinforcements and synthetic leather overlays add durability
• Aegis treated neoprene heel lining and padded tongue
• Abrasion resistant polyurethane-coated synthetic leather toecap
• 4.5 mm anatomical perforated EVA footbed with Aegis antimicrobial to inhibit odor
• Air Cushion under the heel absorbs shock, centers the heel and stabilizes the foot Molded heel pull tab for easy on/off
• Slip lasted construction with an EVA board provides flexibility while maintaining a close, comfortable fit.

Click here for Merrell official UK website: Merrell UK

The website aims to develop paddlers skills and give up to date advice on many aspects of white water paddlesport. I’m happy to announce that phase 1 of the project is in process. This will soon to be followed by photo’s and finally videos. Once we have the descriptions uploaded we will be further refining the content as we adjust the format. This is a free resource for the paddler community and we would greatly appreciate any comments or requests  you have. There is a lot of background work going on with the website at the moment and it’s all part of the bigger picture for our service.

See you on the river.

It’s been busy couple of months here at Sweetwater. Although the white water season is just starting in the UK, it is coming to a close in Sweden where I’ve just been running coach and guide development programmes. I was staying in Are about 2hr’s drive from Troheim Airport on the Norwegian boarder. After a good sleep I met up with the team to discuss the program and their personal goals over  a  traditional Swedish breakfast. The main aim of the program was to identify a progressive range of training environments to aid the development of river running and steep creaking skills whilst also exploring the latest coaching methods to suit.

40 minute trek to the river – the snow made the longer hikes easier as we could sledge our boats and equipment. Part of our morning brief was about essential equipment to meet the demands of wildness and steep environment paddling. As you would imagine the Swede’s are no strangers to wildness boating, we discussed the various considerations  and possible solutions before heading out for the morning hike.

The main objective of the first day was to look at the skills that have the most effect  on our ability to successfully read the river environment, adapting to its demands and applying key strokes  where they really count the most.

After a great grade 3(4) warm up working on creating lines,  and new eddy in and out techniques we moved on to practicing Boofing Techniques – working progressively towards laying the foundation for successfully running larger falls. The group explored various techniques and strategies to suit a wide range of river features and objectives.

Once we had the foundation of a good boof we shifted focus towards running larger falls,  working on different methods of creating a window of opportunity that allows students to develop and enhance their techniques in a safe and structured manner.

After taking the group through various approaches and processes  of running waterfalls we put it into practice. Here I am demonstrating a method of animating key shapes and timings during the coach demonstration process.

From this point on the river step up a grade proving some quality grade 4 and 5 paddling. As we entered each section of rapid we discussed and applied the process of future adaption. This is a process of preparing for the challenges ahead by using one section to rehearse  ’ must make ‘  moves for the next more challenging section.

I would like to say thanks to the team of coaches and guides for their great hospitality, I thoroughly enjoyed my time on the river with all.

Happy Paddling